1st Annual Local Foods Dinner
The Food Initiatives Group (FIG) held its first Local Foods Dinner at 7 pm on August 9, 2008, located at Sullivan Taylor Coffee House/The Wine Sellers/Taylor Hall (119 S. Randolph). The evening showcased vegetable, fruit, dairy, meat, and grain producers in the region with a gourmet five-course feast. Attendees received a guide to over 50 sources of locally grown or prepared foods and will have the opportunity to meet some of these producers face to face.
The meal was prepared by local chef Dan Murphy, a five-time winner of the Macomb Sodexho Copper Chef contest. The menu included a chilled soup, pecan encrusted tilapia appetizer, a salad stack of fresh mozzarella, multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, and basil drizzled in a balsamic reduction, a beef stew with glazed carrots, and a rhubarb-berry dessert.
The event was a fundraiser for the Food Initiatives Group, a grassroots non-profit group advocating for the resurgence of a local food culture that provides every person access to sustainably produced, nutritious food. Proceeds from the dinner will be used to facilitate use of the Link card--a debit card for food assistance--at the Macomb Farmer's Market.
Full Report on FIG Dinner by Lisa Gruver :: See PHOTOS from the dinner on Flickr
Recipes from the dinner:
Multi-colored Borscht
modified by Dan Murphy from Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook
Yield= 1 gallon
2 lb. red beets
2 lb. golden beets
2 large cucumbers
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tablespoons honey
4 cups buttermilk
1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream) and/or 1/4 cup chives for garnish (optional)
1/2 cup lemon juice (~2-3 lemons)
Peel beets and cucumbers. Place the red beets and yellow beets in separate sauce pans; add 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt to each. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook until fork tender. Pull the beets from the water (reserve the water) and cool until they are easy to handle until cooked and soft. Grate the beets, placing each back into the appropriate water and cool completely. Cut cucumbers in half and scoop out the seeds for composting. Grate cucumbers and add half to each color of the cooled beets. Add 1/2 tsp black pepper and 2 tablespoons honey (or to your preference) to each pot of beet-cucumber blend. Also stir in 1/4 cup of lemon juice to each pot of beet-cucumber blend. If you want a chunkier soup, stir in 2 cups butter milk now. If you want a smooth soup, puree each color in a blender or food processor before stirring in buttermilk. Just before serving, remove soups from fridge and use a divider in the center of the bowl (any kitchen implement that fits your bowl size--we cut a rubber baking scraper to fit). Hold the divider in place while ladeling red borsch on one side and yellow on the other to the same depth. Pull the divider out and move on to the next bowl. At this point, the soup may be refrigerated for several hours before serving, or served immediately. Use a spoon to gently swirl the colors. Add garnish if desired. For vegans or lactose intolerent guests, dish their soup before adding the buttermilk.